Loose-leaf binder.



J. A. MUDD.

' LoosE LEAP BINDER.

APPLICATION PILIID APB..19.1909. 977, 1 20.

Patented NOV.29,1910.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

" Meg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. MUDD, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. MUDD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates particularly to loose leaf binders adapted for use as perpetual ledgers; and my primary object is to provide a binder of the character indicated of improved construction and capable of wider expansion than binders of a similar type now on the market.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional view taken as indicated at line 1 of F ig. 4, and showing the binder in collapsed condition; Fig. 2, a similar section showing the binder in expanded condition; Fig. 3, a broken longitudinal section taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. 1; F ig. t, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line l of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 5 of F ig. 2; and F ig. 6, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 8.

In the construction illustrated, A represents a binder-back upon which is mounted a longitudinally disposed right-and-left threaded screw A1;A2, A2, transversely slidable binding'members mounted on the back A and equipped with telescopic bindingposts, or leaf supports, A3; A, A, nuts connected with the threaded rod, or screw, A1 and joined, by links A5, to the slidable binder sections A2; and A, cover sections hinged, or flexibly connected, to the binder sections A2.

The back section A of the binder frame preferably comprises a sheet-metal plate 1 having at its ends integrally formed guides 2; and a back piece 3, which may be of wood, detachably connected with the plate 1 by means of screws t. The guides 2 are formed by bending the end portions of the plate 1 forwardly, or upwardly, (according to the position of the binder) thereby providing an outer flange 5 formed by bending the metal back upon itself to provide an inner flange 6 separated from the flange 5 by a space 7. The extremities of the plate are then extended inwardly to provide portions 8 which lie parallel with the body of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 19, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 490,868.

the plate 1, and the extreme end portions of the plate are then bent forwardly or upthe inwardly extending guide members 8, 1

and the rod-bearings 9 may be provided by folding the end portions of the strip of sheet-metal 1 back parallel with the body of the strip, and then bending the extremities or loop-ends of the folded parts forwardly or upwardly at right angles to the b ody of the plate to provide the guides 2 at right angles to the portions 8, and finally bending the extremities of the inner plies of the material forwardly at right angles to the body of the plate to provide the bearings 9. As thus described, the bearings 9 are disposed parallel with the end-guides 2 with which the back-plate 1 is equipped. The rod A1 is ournaled in said bearings 9, and one end of the rod is provided with an angular extremity 10 adapted to receive a key, or wrench, 11. One of the end-guides 2 is provided with a perforation 12 through which the key may be inserted. The rear or loop side of the back piece 3 is shown covered with leather or other suitable covering material 13, whose edge portions are folded over the inner surfaces of the piece 3. The covering material 13 may be secured by means of adhesive material. "Ihe inner flanges 6 of the guides 2 are provided at their lateral edges with notches 111, as shown in Fig. 6.

Each slidable section A2 of the binderframe preferably comprises a light sheetmetal plate 15 having its end portions turned forwardly or upwardly at right angles to the body of the plate to afford end flanges 16 adapted to move in the guides 2, and having its outer lateral edge portion turned up at right angles to the body of the plate to afford a flange 17; a heavier sheetmetal plate 18 rigidly secured to the fiange 17, as by rivets 19; and an outer side-piece 20 which may be of wood. The wooden members 20 are shown connected with the metal plates 18 by means of screws 21 which connect with nuts 22 which are embedded or countersunk 'in the outer surfaces of the members 20. The end-flanges 16 of the plates 15 are provided at their outer lateral edges with inturned lugs, or ears, 23 which are secured, by rivets 24, to the end portions of the relatively thick plates 18. The plates 18 carry the telescopic sections of the binderposts A3. The notches, or recesses, 141 of the inner members of the guides 2 receive the lugs, or ears, Q8 when the binder is in the completely collapsed condition, as will be understood from Fig. 6. The plates 18 have portions of the metal thereof severed and struck inwardly to afford lugs, or bearings, 25 with which the outer ends of the linlfs A5 are connected by pivots 26. The inner ends of the links A5 are connected with the nuts A4 by pivots 27. The wooden members 2O are incased in suitable covering material 28 whose edge portions are extended and guinmed or cemented to the cover-sections A6. The covering material Q8 may be of leather, or other suitable flexible material, and said material may be employed to provide hinge connections 29 between the binder-frame sections A2 and the cover-seo tions A6. The nuts 22 are of angular form and are placed in the angular recesses, or sockets, provided therefor in the outer surfaces of the members 20 before the covering material 28 is applied.

The rod A1 may be rendered longitudinally immovable on the binder-frame back by providing a pin, or stud, 30 adjacent the bearing 9 at. the key-receiving end of the binder, and by allowing the opposite end of the rod to abut against the guide 2. Any other suitable expedient may be adopted for rendering the rod A1 longitudinally imiiiovable while permitting its rotation in the bearings 9.

The inwardly 'extending portions S carried by the inner flanges 6 of the guides 2 are separated from the body of the plate 1 by a space 3l which accommodates the plates 15 of the transversely slidable binder-sections Az The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description. When it is desired to open the binder, the rod A1 may be rotated in a direction to cause the nuts A4 to travel toward each other, thereby causing the links A5 to approach alinement with each other. The inward travel of the nuts may be limited by studs 32 with which the rod is equipped. In the collapsing operation, the rod is rotated in the opposite direction, thereby causing the nuts to travel away from each other and drawing t-he binder sections A2 together. In the completely collapsed condition of the binder, the lateral edges of the guides 2 abut against the side members 20, as shown in Fig. 1, and the ears, or lugs, 23 are received in the slots, or recesses, 14 with which the inner members of said guides are provided. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 6 that the side plates 18 of the binder sections A2 are somewhat shorter than the back plate 1, so that the guides 2 embrace the ends of the plates 18 when the binder is in the completely collapsed condition. The back piece 3 and the side pieces 2() preferably project at their ends somewhat beyond the guides 2 and flanges 16.

It will be understood that if a flat-back binder is desired, instead of a round or curved back binder, the back piece may be dispensed with; and, if desired, the side pieces 20 may be omitted and the cover sections suitably connected with the plates 18, in which case the binder-frame may be nickel-plated.

The construction described is simple, strong and durable and may be manufactured at moderate cost. Moreover, the binder possesses the utmost smoothness and certainty of operation, and maybe expanded to practically twice the capacity which it possesses in the collapsed condition. r)The slitted perforate leaves may be inserted and connected with the posts A3 in the usual manner.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only. Hence, no undue limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a binder of the character set forth, the combination of a back section comprising a sheet-metal plate having` its end portions folded upon the body of the plate and the extremities of the folded portions bent forwardly to afford end-guides, the inner plies of the material being separated fromv the outer' plies by spaces, slidable sections mounted on said back and provided with flanges received by said guides, and mechanism connecting the back section and said slidable sections.

Q. In a binder of the character set forth, the combination of a back section comprising a sheet-metal member having its eX'- tremities folded back to lie parallel with the body of the plate and the loop ends of the plies thus formed bent forwardly at right angles to the body of the plate to aiford end-guides, the portions of the inner plies lying parallel with the body of the plate affording back guide-members and the extremities of the inner plies bent at right angles to the body of the plate and providedA with perforations aiording rod-beaiings, a right-and-left threaded rod journaled in said rod-bearings, post-equipped binder sections having flanges engaging said guides, nuts on said rod, and links connecting said second-named binder sect-ions with said nuts.

3. In a binder of the character set forth,

the combination of a back section equipped with end-guides and back guides, .a pair of transversely slidable sheet-inetal sections having flanges received in said guides and post-carrying flanges at right angles thereto, a rod journaled on said back and equipped with nuts, links connecting said nuts with said pair of transversely slidable sections, a pair of side pieces flanking said postcarrying flanges of said slidable sections, said side pieces having nut-receiving sockets in their outer surfaces, nuts in said sockets, screws extending through the metal postcarrying flanges and connected with said nuts, a pair of cover sections, and binding material covering said side pieces and connected with said cover sections and affording flexible connections between the cover sections and the transversely slidable sections of the binder frame.

4l. In a binder of the character set forth, the combination of a sheet-metal back section having forwardly extending end-guides formed integrally therewith, said end-guides comprising inner and outer plies of metal, a pair of transversely slidable sheet-metal binder sections, each comprising a sheetmetal plate having its extremities extending forwardly at right angles to the body of the plate and having at its outer lateral edge a flange extending forwardly at right angles to the body of the plate, said end portions received by said guides of said back section and having inwardly turned ears, the inner plies of said end-guides having recesses to accommodate said ears in the collapsed condition of the binder, and a relatively short and thick sheet-metal side plate secured to said forwardly turned lateral flange and to said ears, binding-posts carried by said relatively thick side plates, a right-and-left threaded rod journaled on said back section and equipped with nuts, and links connecting said nuts to said transversely slidable binder-sections.

5. In a binder of the character set forth, the combination of a sheet-metal back section having forwardly extending double-ply endeguides with the plies thereof separated to afford guide spaces, the inner plies of said end-guides having their lateral edges provided with recesses, a separately formed back piece of Wood, or the like, secured to the body of said sheet-metal back section and having its edges projecting beyond the edges o-f the sheet-metal back piece and beyond said end-guides, a pair of transversely slidable sheet-metal binder sections, each comprising a sheet-metal plate having its extremities bent forwardly and forming guide flanges received in said guides of said back section, the outer lateral edges of said end flanges having inturned ears, and relatively short and thick sheet-metal side plates secured to said ears and adapted to fit between said end-guides in the collapsed condition of the binder, binder-posts carried by said last-named plates, separately formed side pieces of wood, or the like, secured to said last-named plates and having their extremities projecting beyond the ends of said plates, cover sections flexibly connected with said last-named side pieces, a right-and-left threaded rod journaled on said back section and equipped with nuts, and links connecting said nuts to said relatively thick plates.

JOSEPH A. MUDD.

In presence of- L. I-IEIsLAR, J. G. ANDERSON. 

